Lavarnway feels like old self at the plate

BOSTON -- For years, the knock on Ryan Lavarnway was that he wasn't a good enough defender to catch in the majors.

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By
Tim Britton
Posted Apr. 25, 2013 @ 6:17 pm

BOSTON -- For years, the knock on Ryan Lavarnway was that he wasn't a good enough defender to catch in the majors.

Entering this season, the concerns surrounding Boston's 25-year-old catching prospect focused on his bat and a subpar 2012.

And so, it's a nice development for Lavarnway that he was called up on Thursday largely for his offense. Lavarnway, who was promoted to take Alfredo Aceves' spot on the roster, isn't likely to be with the major-league club for long. John Lackey is due back Sunday, and Boston manager John Farrell said Thursday that he will take Lavarnway's spot on the roster.

In the meantime, Lavarnway probably won't see any time behind the plate. But he can provide a right-handed bat off the bench.

Lavarnway has quietly put together a solid start to his season with the PawSox. Reunited with hitting coach Dave Joppie, who worked with him in Portland, Lavarnway more closely resembles the hitter he was in 2011 than 2012. The prodigious power has not yet arrived -- some of that can be blamed on the weather -- but Lavarnway is displaying what he called "a combination of being aggressive and being disciplined at the same time."

"It's a delicate balance. It's something that I need to accomplish," Lavarnway said. "The discipline part of it is making sure I take a good swing at a good pitch and not swing at the garbage they throw me."

Lavarnway is hitting .310 with a .423 on-base percentage in 11 games for Pawtucket.

"I feel like I'm getting back to being myself at the plate," Lavarnway said. "What it comes down to is I've got to be ready for a battle every pitch. I've just got to win that battle."